The Storybrooke Dodger
by Stacey Dawe
Summary: This story takes place a few weeks after the Final Battle in season 6. Dodger and his gang have come from the Land Of Untold Stories but have been laying low, now Dodger has a dangerous plan. The overall arc is three parts and focuses on Dodger, but part one is also about Oliver Twist and part three about Emma Swan. Trigger Warning: part three includes brief contemplation ofsuicide
1. Chapter 1

**Part One: Please sir, I need a home**

 **A long time ago in the realm Dickens wrote about…**

A spoon made a loud clanking sound as it landed in a bowl. Oliver Twist sat at the table with several other hungry orphan boys. They had just finished their small, daily morsel of porridge.

"I'm still hungry" one boy said loudly.

The boy next to him put a finger to his nose and shushed the loud boy.

"I'm with him" a third boy said in protest, "we ain't never gotten a decent fill round ere".

Oliver looked down, not wanting to be part of a conversation that could get him in trouble.

"Hey Twist" an older boy said while pushing Oliver's shoulder "I dare you to go up an ask for more".

Oliver looked at him and shook his head.

"Yeah" said the first boy "someone needs to ask for more. Twist should do it".

All the boys at the table cheered in agreement.

"Why me?" asked Oliver.

"Because the grown-ups like you" the boy who had nudged him explained "they think you're the best behaved of all of us. They might say yes to you".

Oliver was reluctant but he slowly picked up his bowl and cautiously walked towards the orphanage boss, Mr. Gibbons. He kneeled down, held the bowl in front of him and said "Please sir, I want some more".

"WHAT?" Mr. Gibbons demanded in an angry tone.

"Please, sir, I want some more" Oliver repeated.

"Why you insolent little miscreant" Mr Gibbons shouted "no one asks for more around here".

Mr Gibbons picked up a whip and lashed Oliver several times then grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, growling "I'll show you what happens to boys who ask for more".

 **Storybrooke, present day**

An apple and an Apollo bar lay on a bench in the schoolyard. Oliver Twist quietly took them and brought them to a lanky teenage boy who called himself the Artful Dodger.

"Excellent work Oliver" Dodger said while slicing the apple with his pocket knife "I'm quite proud of you, though Mrs Blanchard seems to be getting a bit suspicious about our work".

Another teenage boy, Charley, nudged Dodger and pointed out two teenagers on the other side of the schoolyard.

"That's them" Charley said "Ansel an Gretel. The ones who took on a witch back in their ol realm".

Dodger looked at them pensively. "They don look like much" he said "but I'll bet they can elp us".

 **Later at the home of the Charmings**

Snow White and her daughter, Emma Swan, were sipping coffee together.

"It's so nice" Emma said "to finally be able to relax now that the Black Fairy is defeated and there are no more villainous schemes to worry about".

"I wouldn't tempt fate" Snow warned.

Emma glared at her for a second.

"So how goes teaching?" Emma asked.

"Very good" replied Snow "The children are all doing great, except I'm a little worried there may be a lunch thief in our midsts. At first I chalked it up to kids misplacing things but it's getting to be too much to be a coincidence. It seems to have increased since your final battle with the Black Fairy".

"hmm" said Emma "maybe the universe is telling me to do more work. Maybe as sheriff I need to have a talk with some of those hooligans at the school".

"Maybe shouldn't use the word hooligan" Snow replied.

 **Long ago in the realm Dickens wrote about**

Oliver was mopping the floor in the backroom of a store, with his head down.

"That'll teach you to be ungrateful" a stern woman barked at him "asking for more? You should consider yourself lucky you ain't out on the street like lots of other orphans. You got people to teach you right from wrong so you don't wind up in jail like most ungrateful orphans. They'd kill for the privilege of aving people to look after em, an you have the nerve to ask for more?"

An older boy walked in with a cocky grin.

"Hello, Noah" said the stern woman "glad you're finally ere, watch this ulagin while I go mind the shop". She turned to Oliver "an consider yourself lucky the orphanage sent you here to work an not out on the streets with the beggars and crooks".

She left. Oliver looked up at Noah.

"What ave we ere?" asked Noah, bending over for a better look at Oliver. "I was expecting a tough lil troublemaker. The lady is right, you'd never make it in the streets. Can't believe them, being tough on a lil runt like you".

"And what do you know about livin in the streets?" asked Oliver.

"You'd be surprised" answered Noah "I know all about orphan street gangs but i've also convinced my girlfriend's parents, they own this shop, that I'm an upright standin citizen" he said, touching his shirt collar. "Betcha you couldn't accomplish that. You ain't got any strength, brains, or charisma, you're lucky anybody lets you have food or shelter, who wants a runt like you?"

Oliver became angry and started violently hitting Noah with the mop.

"HELP" yelled Noah "POLICE".

Some people rushed in. The stern lady took the mop from Oliver's hands and scolded him "You couldn't just be ungrateful?" she asked rhetorically "You had to be violent too? I'm calling the authorities, lest you go on a killing spree next".

Oliver ran out the door, into the street, and as far away as he could. He stopped behind a large building to catch his breath. He cried. Was Noah right? Would he not survive in the streets? Would nobody ever want him? He had just been told he was lucky to have food and shelter, now he had lost that too. What would happen to him?

 **Present day Storybrooke**

Dodger and his gang were near the wishing well with Hansel and Gretel.

"Thank you two for accepting my invite" said Dodger

"The shadiness of it did give us pause" replied Gretel.

Dodger laughed. "Gave you pause?" he asked "the ones who took on a witch when you were just youngins? I would think you'd be brave enough for anything".

Hansel looked thrilled. Gretel looked at him sternly before turning her attention back to Dodger.

"Depends what you mean by 'anything'" she answered sceptically.

"Ah, you're a shrewd one" Dodger said with a smile "well it just so happens me gang an I are planning sumthin special, that will require a series of difficult heists, we need your elp because you know this town well. If you help us, we're gonna give you a piece of the action when we get the big treasure".

Hansel's eyes lit up. Gretel looked at him with frustration.

"Hansel" she said "you know how your greed gets you into trouble. And then I follow along to try and keep you from getting hurt and I get sucked in with you. Can we not do this again?"

Oliver tugged on Gretel's dress.

"Please ma'am" he begged "I needs the big treasure to find my home".

Gretel knelt down "Sweetie" she asked kindly "why are you with these crooks?"

"Because" answered Oliver "they took me in and made me family and now they're going to help me find my place in the world".

Gretel looked sympathetic.

"C'mon" said Hansel "this could make us rich and powerful, give us everything we want in our wildest dreams".

"That's right" said Dodger "an the further you help us, the more you'll learn about the plan".

"This is exciting" said Hansel "I'm in".

Gretel sighed. "Then I'm in too" she said. "What's our first mission?"

 **Later at the Sheriff's Station**

Emma was at her desk when her husband and deputy, Captain Hook walked in with a box of donuts.

"Bear claw for m'lady?" he offered,

"Yes please" she said taking the bear claw out of the box and biting into it "did you also get the…"

"Hot Cocoa with cinnamon?" he finished "Henry's bringing that, it was too hard for me to hold with my hook".

Emma smiled. Hook sat on the desk.

"This has been an easy job since the Black Fairy was defeated" Hook mused "I wonder if we'll get anymore real action in this town".

"Bite your tongue" replied Emma, though with a tone that said she was secretly hoping for excitement too.

Just then, the phone rang. Emma answered.

"Hello" she said "Sheriff's station". She suddenly got a panicked look on her face. Hook saw it and started to worry too. "We're on our way" Emma said before laying down the phone.

"What is it?" asked Hook.

"Sneezy" said Emma "Grumpy and Bashful found him tied up in the back room at the pharmacy. Some kids robbed the place".

Emma and Hook grabbed their coats and left the station.

 **Long Ago in the realm Dickens wrote about**

Oliver was crouching around the alleys of the city, looking for something to eat.

"You'd better be careful of the gangsters" a voice behind him said.

Oliver turned around to see a teenage boy. He was afraid.

"No need to be afraid of me" said the boy "I keep others in line. I can tell by your clothes you're new to the streets, the underground life, you're lucky I found you before someone else did. I can get you shelter, it ain't perfect but it's one of the best options kids like us got. Jack Dawkins is the name but my friends call me the Artful Dodger".

Dodger held out his hand. Oliver cautiously shook it.

"I'm called Oliver" he replied "Oliver Twist".

"An what's a respectable boy like you doing in an alleyway?" asked Dodger.

"I had to run away from the place I was staying because I punched another boy" answered Oliver "he was being mean".

"I had to run away many times when I was about your age" replied Dodger "the first time was for stealing medicine. At least you have a place to go now, come home with me an be part of my family, all kids who lost their homes. Fagin looks after us in exchange for working for him. He takes in many boys with no place to go".

"Can I trust you?" asked Oliver.

"Maybe not" said Dodger "I've done some bad things to people, but I may be the best option you got now".

Another teenager came into the alley. "Ah ha" he said "Ol Dodger's tryna recruit some young blood".

"You keep away from him" warned Dodger "this one ain't looking for no trouble".

They boy was older than Oliver but not as old as Dodger. He walked up slowly. He and Dodger raised fists at each other. Oliver watched in fear as the two teenager made several sudden moves to intimidate one another. Suddenly, the unnamed teen held a knife to Oliver's neck. "You'll make a good distraction for the things that chase me" he said. Dodger put the guy in a headlock "run Oliver" Dodger said.

Oliver ran into the street and almost hit a police horse. He suddenly realized he was out in the open and hoped nobody recognized him. Suddenly he was pulled back into an alley by who turned out to be none other than Dodger.

"Now what'd I tell you?" Dodger said "I'm a bad boy but I'm the best shot you got at survival".

"Thank-you" said Oliver, breathlessly "but why are you helping me?"

"Cause Fagin asked me to find recruits" said Dodger "and he's my best shot at survival".

 **A long time later in Storybrooke**

Dodger and his gang were in an abandoned cabin, owned by Mr. Gold but not used by him in a long time, enjoying their ill-gotten gains from the drugstore robbery. Two boys were throwing knives at a dartboard. Dodger was teaching Oliver how to get the most out of a chocolate bar. Hansel and two other boys were gambling with each other by playing dice and using candy as capital.

"Remind me again what the purpose of this mission was?" Gretel inquired of Dodger.

"Twas a practice run" replied Dodger "I needed to know you and your brother have what it takes to tackle a real heist, before building up to the more dangerous tasks. I don't want nobody getting hurt, or caught by the sheriff. Those dwarfs have told her about us by now, we have to be quick and efficient, lest she start to catch on."

"I've been caught before" Oliver piped up "I'd hate to see what'll happen to you".

Gretel turned to Oliver "The sheriff here is kind and just" she said "she helped my brother and I find our father so we wouldn't be separated. Now we have a home. Perhaps she can help you get one too".

"Ain't no such things as a kind and just sheriff" growled Dodger "the law takes the downtrodden and makes us more downtrodden. Ain't no real good person in the world, on either side of the law. Ain't that right Oliver?"

Oliver looked at Dodger, then at Gretel, then back at Dodger.

"I haven't met many good people" Oliver said with a shrug.

Gretel began to open her mouth.

"I know what you're about to say" Dodger said accusingly "you have the nerve to judge us and look at us as lowlife crooks because you and your brother are privileged and ain't seen the horrors we have in our realm. You don't know what it's like for us orphans so shut your mouth".

"I wasn't going to say anything like that" Gretel said defensively "but I do have to go home for the night before my father gets suspicious".

Dodger looked down grumpily, frustrated. Oliver gave him a gumdrop and pat on the back to comfort him. Dodger ate the gumdrop and patted Oliver on the head to thank him.

"Go then" said Dodger "we don't want to raise no more alarm than necessary. Keep quiet about all this now".

"Come on, Hansel" Gretel said as she stood up. Hansel obediently followed her. After they left, Oliver looked at Dodger.

"You ain't afraid they'll peach?" he asked.

"They'll be in as much trouble as us if they do" he said "they were the ones who tied up the dwarf and she was the one I had call the other dwarf before he starved. The evidence is stacked against them, we've thrown the sheriff off our trail".

"What are they helping us with tomorrow?" asked Oliver.

"We've got to go after the materials we need to modify the curse on this town. They're in four locations. Our first target, the Convent of the Sisters of Saint Meissa".

 **Later at the Sheriff Station**

Henry and his girlfriend, Violet, were playing Checkers when Emma, Hook, and Grumpy walked in.

"So what are you gonna do about the robbery?" Grumpy asked.

"Be patient" answered Emma "I need to find out who the kids that did it were and deal with them". She placed her red leather jacket on the back of the chair Henry was sitting in.

"Hi Mom" said Henry "We came by to give you your hot cocoa with cinnamon but you weren't here, so we waited".

"Thank-you" said Emma taking a sip of the hot cocoa.

"So, what's the commotion in town now?" asked Henry.

"Well" replied Emma "It seems and indeterminate number of teenagers and kids in masks decided to ambush Sneezy and rob the pharmacy. They left him tied up in the back room. At least they had the decency to call the other dwarfs and tell them rather than letting him rot back there, I give them credit for that".

Violet's eyes suddenly widened with shock. "I may know something" she said.

"Tell me what you know then" Emma requested.

"I've been working at Granny's" Violet began "and there were some teen boys I talked to there, they wore torn clothes and I wondered if they were homeless but when I tried to ask, they evaded the question but I did find out that they had come from the Land Of Untold Stories and were waiting out the defeat of all the villains in town. I also found out the leader called himself The Artful Dodger".

"That little troublemaker from Oliver Twist?" Emma asked aggressively.

Violet nodded. "When I mentioned it to Henry" she continued "he told me about the story they probably came from and I wondered if they would cause trouble after they were finished laying low, but by then I forgot about them".

"Thank-you for the information" said Emma "I kind of wish you had told me sooner, maybe I could have found homes for them".

"You were too busy with all the commotion with the Black Fairy and Gideon trying to kill you" Henry reminded her "it had to wait for things to calm down".

"I think I'm missing something" said Hook "who is the Artful Dodger?"

"I forget how little you know about pop culture in this world" Emma replied "he's part of a famous novel called Oliver Twist, he's the leader of a gang of orphan thieves".

"Like most of our stories, his is different from the book" Violet said "he's about seventeen years old".

Emma felt a pang of emotion as she herself had been a thief by that age. Hook sensed this and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Was there a girl with them, by any chance?" asked Grumpy.

"No, why?" answered Violet.

"Then someone else is working with them" sad Grumpy "cause it was definitely a girl that called me to tell me where they stashed Sneezy".

Violet shrugged her shoulders.

"No girls" she said "but I think I saw Oliver Twist with them once or twice. A small boy who seemed to shy to be in public".

"Any idea where they live?" asked Emma.

"Sorry, no" said Violet.

"Well" said Emma "if you see them again or remember anything else, give me a call. Hook and I will try to find out if there are any abandoned houses they could be in. I remember Hansel and Gretel lived in one before I reunited them with their father".

 **A long time ago in The Realm Dickens Wrote About**

Dodger, Oliver, and another boy in Dodger's gang, approached the backside of a bookstore.

"Alright" said Dodger "remember the plan" he clasped his hands looked at the other boy and continued "Charlie, you're on lookout" and then looked at Oliver "Oliver, do it just the way we taught you".

Oliver nodded obediently. The three boys walked around to the front of the store. Oliver walked inside first.

"Please sir" he said to the man at the counter "help me, I'm lost".

The man looked down.

"What have we here?" he asked before coming around to Oliver's side of the counter. While he was distracted, Dodger and Charlie crept in. Charlie watched the man while Dodger snuck under the counter to get the money. When he came out the other side he nodded to Oliver and crept back out. Charlie went near the door. Oliver thanked the man for giving him directions and headed for the door. Suddenly the man noticed the money gone and shouted. Charlie hurriedly, but gently, pushed Oliver through the door and gave Dodger a hand signal indicating the man was coming. Dodger panicked, put the money in Oliver's hands, and then ran away. Charlie followed. The man furiously grabbed Oliver and called for a nearby police officer. Oliver was arrested.

 **A long time later in Storybrooke**

Oliver was outside the convent at night with an older boy in Dodger's gang.

"Rory, why are we stealing from nuns again?" Oliver asked.

"They ain't real nuns" Rory answered, slightly frustrated "they're fairies an they got some magic we needs".

"Oh" said Oliver.

Hansel came around the corner.

"We've checked the perimeter" Hansel said proudly "looks like the only nun awake in there is the Blue Fairy in the main area. We can avoid her. We'll put the smallest boys in through the back windows, close to where the wand is, meanwhile Dodger will pick the front lock so Gretel and I can fish the boys out. If Mother Superior, that's Blue, starts to head for the front door, Dodger will give Charlie the signal to create a distraction. Any questions?"

"Who's taking the fall if we get caught?" asked Oliver.

"If anyone gets caught, Gretel and I will speak with the sheriff" answered Hansel "she likes us".

Oliver nodded and then Hansel and Rory lifted him into the window. Another boy in the gang, Mickey, not much older than Oliver came in through a window across from him. They both silently went for the door in the middle and crept into a room where the special diamond wand lay. Oliver picked it up. It glowed. Suddenly, they heard footsteps and hid under a chair. The doorknob began to turn. Was it Blue of Hansel and Gretel. Both boys tried to hide the wand's glow. There was a loud sound in the distance and the sound of footsteps went away from them. Oliver sighed with relief. Mickey approached the door and motioned for Oliver to follow. He obeyed. Mickey peeked out the door and looked around. Once he felt safe he tiptoed out with Oliver behind them. Someone stepped into their line of sight. They jumped, thinking it was the Blue Fairy. It was Gretel.

"Come on" she whispered. Hansel's on lookout, I'll lead you to the front entrance. The three hurried to the front door, soon joined by Hansel, and escaped.

 **The next day in the same convent**

Emma, Hook, and Blue stood in the room the diamond wand had been taken.

"I thought I heard someone in here" Blue said "but when I came to check I heard noise outside and went to check on that. By the time I came back to this room, the diamond wand was gone. I shudder to think what the thief could be planning with it. It has a number of dangerous powers".

"Wonderful" said Hook "so we know there's a band of thieves in town but we don't know who they all are, where they live, or what they're using dangerous magical items found around town for".

Emma glared at him. "We'll figure this out" she said. "Sounds like they used a classic group heist trick, create a diversion while the others escape. Neal and I used to act like I was going into labour to avoid getting caught. Let's check the windows in the hallway".

They walked into the hallway and Emma inspected the window. "One of them broke in through here" she said "and we already know the lock on the front door was picked". Her frustration began to rise. "What we don't know" she continued "is how to find the little miscreants so we can stop them". She kicked the wall.

"Blue, could you give us a minute?" Hook asked.

"Of course" Blue nodded and left.

"Swan" said Hook "you've been acting strangely ever since Violet told us the Dodger is in town. I know you, this isn't just about stopping crime, there's something more personal going on here".

"Okay fine" Emma said "I'll explain. I first read the book Oliver Twist when I was in jail. I had dropped out of school before I met Neal and the prison counsellor thought that some education would help my rehabilitation". She rolled her eyes and then continued "So I was given some classics to read but I don't think they thought through the content of some of them. I threw the book across my cell when I got to the part where the Dodger, who was supposed to be Oliver's friend, betrays him and makes him take the fall for his crime, like Neal had done to me".

Hook hugged Emma and she lay her head on his chest.

"I understand how that was difficult for you but you have to remember these stories don't always reflect reality. This Dodger may not have done that, and if he did there may be a good explanation. Besides, you eventually forgave Neal, you can find a way to forgive young Dodger too. Besides, look at this way, the young lad has been looking after a band of homeless orphans for who knows how long, doing what he must feel is right for all of them. He probably has been hurt before and doesn't know if he can trust us. He may be in a difficult position. He's done some shady and criminal things but so have both of us. Let's find out the lad's story before we judge him".

"You're right" Emma said "thank-you for reminding me of all that. We need to find out who he really is before being angry. But first we have to find him".

 **A long time ago in the Land Dickens Wrote About**

Oliver sat in a jail cell nibbling a cheap biscuit and staring at a tiny, nearly empty, cup of water. He was hungry and frightened. He cried. He had hoped Dodger would give him a home but now he had betrayed him. Would he ever return? What would become of Oliver now? If no kind families wanted to give him a home before, they wouldn't now that he'd been in jail. He was tainted goods.

"It's time to see the judge" a harsh voice said. The man the voice came from opened the cell door. Oliver timidly followed him to the courtroom. The judge looked down at Oliver sternly.

"BOY" bellowed the judge "you've been accused of creating a diversion in order to profit off a robbery at a bookstore. Do you deny it?"

Oliver remained silent.

"Who else was involved?" asked the judge "who put you up to it?"

"I can't tell you" answered Oliver.

"Then you will spend twice as much time in jail" the judge said monotonously.

"He's just a boy" a man spoke up "boys always come out of jail more unruly than they go in. Let me take him and make a good boy out of him".

The judge looked angry yet thoughtful. "Very well" he said "you take the miscreant home. Consider yourself lucky boy, you won't be next time you come to court". He hit his mallet on the desk and left for a break.

The man who had spoken up took Oliver by the hand.

"Thank-you, sir" said Oliver "I've been hoping for someone to give me a home".

The man laughed derisively. "A home?' he snarked "I ain't giving you any home. I came here to find me a boy nobody cares about to put him to work in my field. I'll beat obedience into you".

He then forcibly grabbed Oliver and took him away.

 **A long time later in Storybrooke**

Dodger and his gang were back in Mr. Gold's cabin. Dodger swung the diamond wand around.

"Careful" shouted Gretel "that looks dangerous".

Dodger looked at her like he was simultaneously offended and impressed by her telling him what to do. He didn't want to let her get away with it but was flattered she worried about him.

"The lady is right" another boy named Harry said.

Dodger silently wrapped the wand in a towel and laid it down on a table, still looking incredulously at Gretel. Suddenly, Oliver ran up to him and jumped up.

"What's next, Dodger?" he asked excitedly.

"Hold your horses" said Dodger "with this we can break into the Evil Queen's vault to get mind control powder, the next ingredient we need".

Hansel and Gretel both looked alarmed.

"The Evil Queen has become good but her magic is still dangerously powerful. Especially something that can affect minds".

"But I need it" said Dodger "and don't ask me why, you can't know yet".

"Didn't the Evil Queen leave?" asked Mickey.

"There were two evil queens for a while, it's complicated" said Rory.

"Anyway" Dodger said, not wanting to get into a lengthy discussion of Storybrooke's strange history "I'll need a bit of time to come up with a plan for this next stage".

"But I want to do it now" complained Oliver "I want to stop having to hide, I want to find a permanent home".

Gretel looked at Hansel. Hansel kneeled down to speak to Oliver.

"Kid" he said "you don't understand what the Evil Queen's magic is capable of, even she can't always control the corrupting power of it".

"I want to do it now" Oliver said stubbornly "I'm small, I can go in by myself tonight and get the powder".

"Enough of that" Dodger said sternly "nobody's doing anything more until I come up with a plan".

 **Later the day at Hansel and Gretel's house**

"Hansel" Gretel called while he was brushing his teeth, supposedly getting ready for bed "I'm worried about Oliver. What if he does go into the queen's vault alone?"

Hansel stood face to face with his sister and touched her shoulders.

"I've been worried about that too". He said "Kid seemed pretty desperate and doesn't believe he can belong here any other way. Plus I saw the way he looked at that wand, like I look at sweets I want to sneakily steal".

"We may get in trouble" Gretel said "but I think to save Oliver we need to tell Sheriff Swan what we know".

Hansel reluctantly nodded.

 **A long time ago in the Land That Dickens Wrote About**

Oliver was working in a field, with scars on his cheek and neck from his new guardian. Suddenly, he saw Harry looking at him from a distance. Oliver perked up. Had they come to rescue him? A noise in the distance distracted his guardian. He ceased the opportunity and ran to Harry. He ran right into Harry and hugged him. Harry hugged back and then motioned for Oliver to follow him. Soon they were reunited with the rest of the gang.

"Are we going home?" Oliver asked.

"We ain't got anywhere to go back to" Dodger said sadly "Fagin has died. Without his protection, my sins are about to catch up to me. The other boy Fagin mentored, Noah Claypole, I did a bad thing to him and peached on him to his girl. Now he's going to peach on all of us to the police. I may deserve it but I can't stand to see all of you go to jail for my misdeeds, it'll make you all into monsters". He held up an object in his hands "So, we're gonna use this portal Fagin passed on to me and go to a place we can lay low for a while until we find some place to go: The Land Of Untold Stories and one day we'll find another place to make home".

He activated the portal and the six boys disappeared from their realm.

 **A long time later in Storybrooke**

Oliver was in Regina's vault. There were so many magical items around him, he wasn't sure where to go first. He opened a box and vipers came out. He was frightened. Suddenly, Hansel pulled him away from the snakes. Emma and Regina came in and shot magic at the vipers, subduing them. Emma knelt down to speak to Oliver.

"Oliver, are you okay?" she asked.

Oliver nodded then he looked at Hansel and Gretel.

"Did you peach on me?" he asked.

"They had to in order to protect you" Emma answered "who knows what would've happened to you in here. Plus, I have a surprise for you outside".

Oliver was nervous. What sort of surprise punishment awaited him outside. Emma guided him out of the vault. There were two men there. Emma introduced them.

"This is Marco" she said "and his son August. They've been looking for someone like you to add to their family".

Oliver cautiously approached Marco and August.

"He's a great Dad" August said "taught me how to carve things and many other things. And I can show you how to read and write".

"I know you don't trust us yet" said Marco "but we want to give you a home and be your family".

Oliver cried tears of joy, though he wasn't sure this was true. Then he turned to Emma.

"What about Dodger and the rest of my friends?" he asked.

"I'll find them" said Emma "and help them too. For now, I want you to go home with Marco and August and lay low for a while".

Oliver got in the car with Marco and let him take him home. Emma smiled with tears of joy in her eyes.

"Are we going to be punished?" Hansel asked her.

Emma turned to speak to Hansel and Gretel.

"I'm glad you came forward in the end, but the three of us are going to have a long talk with your father about your involvement with Dodger's gang.

"I'm just glad Oliver has a home now" Gretel said.

 _Stay tuned for part two, in which Dodger continues his quest for power while flashbacks reveal how he became the person he is, Emma continues her quest to stop him, and Hansel and Gretel go undercover._


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2: Smooth Criminal**

Dodger and Rory waited by the river in the forest outside of Storybrooke. Dodger looked at his pocket watch.

"Can't we go back to the cabin?" Rory asked him.

"It ain't safe" replied Dodger "Oliver disappeared last night and we don't know if he's been caught. We gotta want for intel from the other boys before we make a move".

Just then, Mickey and Harry arrived.

"We saw Oliver" Harry said.

"He's with a nice looking family" Mickey elaborated.

"Yeah, nice _looking_ " added Harry "they're probably gonna dump him after they get him to peach on us".

Charlie came up behind them.

"I heard the old guy is a toymaker. Probably bribing the kid with all kinds of goodies".

"Poor Oliver" Dodger said "the lad wants a home so badly and they're probably playing games with him. But we'll fix everything when we take over this town. We'll save him".

"But how?" Asked Harry "Oliver took the diamond wand, they've probably taken it back from him".

"I have my ways" Dodger replied "it ain't time to talk about it yet".

He then turned to Charlie "Did you find Gretel and her brother?"

"I saw them" said Charlie "but they were with their father and I fear he may be on to us".

"Dangit" said Dodger "we're a few men short and we need a plan for our next heist and find a place to move our hideout".

 **A long time ago in The Realm Dickens Wrote About**

A younger Rory walked down a dark alleyway. A younger Dodger jumped from a low window in a cool, hunched over, burglar pose.

"Being a little dramatic, aren't we?" Rory asked.

Dodger put his finger to his nose to shush Rory.

"This is a dramatic situation" he said "we're robbing medicine from the hospital and then I have to disappear into the night and hitail it outta London".

"And I have to go underground" Rory reminded himself out loud.

"Yes!" said Dodger urgently "now, you got a place to hide the goods?"

"Right over here" Rory opened a trapdoor to an abandoned basement filled with cobwebs.

"Okay, great" Dodger said "I've found the fastest way from the hospital to here with minimal chance of detection. It's the perfect crime".

"I'll owe you one" said Rory.

"No problem" said Dodger "we made a deal, I get you the medicine and you get me passage outta this place".

They snuck across town and climbed into a hospital window Dodger had pried open. They grabbed as much medicine as they could carry and brought it back to the hideaway, using the way Dodger had mapped out through the buildings. They made three trips before they saw the sky was beginning to get light and it was time for Dodger to go. Rory helped him sneak aboard a carriage he had arranged to take Dodger out of London undetected.

"Good luck, my friend" Rory said.

Dodger gave him a thumbs up and then hid away.

 **A long time later in Storybrooke**

Emma and Hook were at the sheriff's station. Emma was at the desk, where a device with an antenna was propped up.

"Simply using cellphone thingies wouldn't suffice?" Hook asked.

Emma rolled her eyes at him.

"It's faster" she said "for them to send us a signal through this radio so we can follow them to a location, or for us to ask them to come to a location. Sending a text with Dodger and his gang around is risky".

"I'm still amazed their father agreed to this" said Hook.

"He says he wants them to get practice being on the right side of the law" Emma replied "besides I wouldn't ask them to do it if I didn't think it was necessary. Dodger trusts Hansel and Gretel".

Hook looked at her strangely.

"I know asking them to betray his trust is morally questionable" Emma said, sensing what he was thinking "but he has to be stopped for his own sake as well as everyone else's".

Hook nodded.

 **Later In The Woods**

Hansel and Gretel were near the well with Harry and Dodger. Gretel presented Dodger with a piece of the diamond wand.

"Snatched this from the sheriff's station" she said.

Dodger was impressed.

"Quite gutsy of you" he said "if you get much gutsier you'll be caught".

He seemed concerned, not only for himself, but for Gretel as well.

"We can handle the sheriff" she said matter-of-factly.

"We can't go back to the cabin anymore" said Dodger "cause who knows what those people are torturing or tricking poor little Oliver into telling them. And don't tell me he's being treated well cause I ain't buying it! He ain't theirs and they know he was with us".

Gretel knew it was useless to argue.

"We may not have to break into the vault" she said "I saw an urn just outside the Queen's vault, but it's magically locked as well".

"I wanna try the wand on it!" Harry piped up, excitedly.

"Alright" said Dodger "but we gotta find a way for you to do it undetected".

"Will you do it tonight?" Asked Hansel.

"Can't tell you that" said Dodger "we have to extra careful now that the grownups may be on to us. We'll come find you when we need you though".

"Don't you trust us?" Asked Hansel.

"Yes" said Dodger "but I'm concerned about your safety from the powers that be".

 **A long time ago in the Realm That Dickens Wrote About**

Young Dodger was back on the streets of London. It was evening, when the city was full of hustle and bustle. He was on the corner selling jewellery. After selling the last piece, he went into an alley between two large buildings, where a man awaited.

"Here's your money" Dodger said, handing a bag of coins over to the man "now we're square and I can be on my way".

"Good lad" the man said "have a cigar!" He shoved a cigar into Dodger's hand.

Dodger tipped his hat in thanks and went on his way. He was a couple blocks down the street when he was suddenly stopped by a police officer.

"What's the trouble, officer?" He asked, trying to hide his nervousness.

"Don't play dumb!" The officer commanded "I've been tailing you. We've traced a bunch of stolen items back to you. You've been selling stolen goods. Now what'd you do with the money?"

"If you cared about that, you'd've found me before I got rid of it" Dodger snarked.

"Don't be fresh!" Commanded the officer.

The officer reached into Dodger's pocket and pulled out a necklace.

"Where'd you get this?" He demanded.

"I swear I didn't know that was there" said Dodger.

"You're under arrest, filthy thief!" Shouted the police officer, slapping a pair of cuffs on the boy.

 **A long time later in Storybrooke**

Emma, Hook, Regina, Henry, Hansel, and Gretel were gathered at Hansel and Gretel's house. They met there because meeting somewhere like the sheriff's station might blow Hansel and Gretel's cover if the gang saw them enter.

"They seem to be taking the bait" Gretel said "they're planning to go for the urn but won't tell us when. I think Harry will be the one to do it though, he's about 13 years old. Mickey is the youngest now that Oliver isn't with them".

"I've put an enchantment on the urn" Regina said "whoever goes for it will be trapped, not for long but hopefully long enough for us to catch them. Then there will be one less reason for everyone to watch their pockets".

"David's staking out the place now" said Emma.

Hansel approached Emma.

"Sheriff Swan, I have a question" he said "you want me and Gretel to find out what Dodger is up to and tell you, but my Dad always tells me it's wrong to tattle. I'm confused."

Emma looked uncomfortable.

"Well Hansel" Emma answered in the maternal voice she usually used while dealing with children "tattling is when your goal is to get someone in trouble, what I'm asking of you is to protect Dodger and his friends from themselves. You're not betraying them, you're helping them".

Hansel seemed satisfied.

Henry's phone made a noise. He looked at it.

"It's Grandma and Grandpa" he said excitedly "they caught one of the gang!"

Emma and Hook got up to leave.

"I wanna help" said Henry.

"Okay" said Emma "why don't you go to the sheriff's station and you can help make the boy feel safer when he gets there. Show him that he does't have to be afraid of us just because we're in authority. He probably hasn't had many good experiences with the law".

Henry gave a bittersweet smile and nodded.

 **Meanwhile near the graveyard**

Dodger and Charlie looked on as Harry attempted to steal from the urn but suddenly became immobilized.

"drat!" Said Dodger.

Snow White and Prince Charming came, seemingly out of nowhere, to apprehend Harry. Charlie started to get up to fight them but Dodger stopped him.

"We'll save hime later" Dodger said "right now we can't afford to all get caught. He's brave enough to take one for the team".

Emma and Hook arrived on the scene as well. Dodger looked angry. After everyone else left the scene, Charlie ran and grabbed some powder from the urn. The mobilizing enchantment had already been used and didn't affect him. He and Dodger made a run for it.

 **A long time ago in the realm Dickens wrote about**

Young Dodger stood in line for food in a prison cafeteria. A taller, tougher, boy turned around and looked at him.

"You're new here aren't you?" The tall boy said.

"Yes" Dodger said, trying to hide his fear.

"What are you in for?" Asked the tall boy.

"Selling stolen goods" said Dodger.

"That it?" Asked the older boy.

"I ran away from London a few years ago after stealing medicine and then came back by making shady deals with underground criminals, then stole some jewelry to pay a debt, and then got caught" Dodger explained "the police didn't even track down the money, they just wanted my blood".

"Word of advice, kid" said the tall boy "half the people in here are in for violent crimes, I stabbed a guy, they'll hurt you unless they're afraid of you. Want respect around here? Tell people you're in for really big violent crimes. They won't respect you unless they fear you".

Dodger was fearful and couldn't understand why a supposedly civilized system would put a little kid, who was mostly just guilty of non-violent robbery, in with people who could hurt him. Before he could thank the tall boy for his advice, the tall boy grabbed him by the shirt collar.

"That advice ain't free" the tall boy growled "nobody will stop me from hurting you, they either respect me too much or got bigger fish to fry, you have to give me most of your food today and every day until you find a way to stop me from taking it".

"Yes, sir" Dodger said.

"Good!" Said the tall boy, then he violently pushed Dodger to the ground just to show his strength.

 **A long time later in Storybrooke**

Emma and Hook were at the sheriff's station. Henry was in the interrogation room showing Harry some Marvel comic books.

"Can we do good cop, bad cop?" Hook asked Emma excitedly.

"I knew I shouldn't have let Henry show you all those old cop movies" Emma said.

"Come on" said Hook "I'll only scare him a little. And then you can be the hero and he'll respect you more".

"Alright" Emma conceded "we'll try it this one time".

They entered the interrogation room and Henry left.

"You ain't getting nothing out of me" Harry said, toughly "I've been in the slammer before, I'm tough".

"Tough enough for me" Hook asked, over-dramatically "have you ever been up against a fearsome pirate captain before? I've pillaged, plundered, and gotten rid of anyone in my way! And your little friends will have a real problem if I don't get my way".

Hook got up in Harry's face. Emma pulled him back.

"Okay, Captain" she said "I think the boy gets it. We don't want to scare him senseless".

Hook flashed his hook and raised an eyebrow evilly.

"Harry" said Emma "we want to help you and the others. Give us what information you can so we can stop them from hurting themselves".

"I don't believe you" said Harry.

"Well" growled Hook "maybe you'll believe it when we lock you up and feed you gruel".

"Okay, that's enough of that" said Emma "you can go now, Captain" she looked at Harry "he's kidding about the gruel" she told him.

Then she pushed Hook out the door while Harry looked on with a grin.

"Now" Emma said "sorry about him, my son showed him one too many cop movies and power is going to his head. I promise, everything will be fine if you just tell me how to find Dodger and the gang. No harm will come to any of you".

"I'll tell you something" said Harry "as long as you keep that guy away".

Emma nodded.

"I won't tell you where he's planning to strike next, but I will tell you that Dodger learned a lot from his mentor, Fagin, who gave him his only real home, and he believes that what he's doing is the only way to fulfill Fagin's legacy. If you catch him, it'll take a hell of a lot more than threats or promises to get him to give up on taking over this town. He trusts nobody, especially not those who represent the law".

 **A long time earlier in the realm Dickens wrote about**

Dodger, now having been in jail for a couple of years, walked through the hallway on the way out. Other boys sat in cells along the sides of the hallway. Some spit at him, while others quivered with fear. He had become one of the toughest and most feared inmates. He glared evilly at some tough boys who were rivals of his. One rival congratulated him on his reign of terror and how far he'd come since being a small timid boy who hardly got to eat and wished him luck on his release. Dodger remained stone-faced as he was finally let out of the prison after years without sunshine.

"Happy release day. Enjoy being out, you'll probably be back soon" the guard said indifferently.

"Well guys like me don't have many other places to go" Dodger replied dryly.

Dodger got off the property and sat under a nearby tree, waiting for Harry to be released soon after. Harry had thankfully only been there for about six months and Dodger had looked out for him. He was glad Harry didn't have to stay there long enough to have to become tough like him. Surviving in jail had taken a lot out of Dodger and made him a less decent person. He stood up when Harry came out.

"So where are we going?" Harry asked.

"I've been in touch with a man" said Dodger "one who will take in guys like us and give us shelter in exchange for committing crimes for him. Not the best arrangement but, where else can we go? At least this guy is going to give us a place to go besides the streets, workhouses, and jailhouses. To my mind, that makes him kinder than the supposedly decent people we're expected to aspire to be like but won't take care of orphans".

Harry nodded and the two went off together.

 **A long time later in Storybrooke**

"Swan!" Hook called out "Hansel and Gretel sent a signal, they're at the clock tower".

"Watch Harry, make sure he doesn't go anywhere" Emma said to her parents and then went off with Hook.

Emma and Hook arrived at the clock tower. Hansel was waiting outside and motioned for them to come over. They did.

"I'm on lookout at this entrance" he said "Charlie's on the other side, hopefully he didn't see you".

Dodger looked out from inside the top of the tower, Gretel and Rory were inside with him.

"I didn't see a signal" he said "but the sheriff can be sneaky. We better sneak our way out".

"But how?" Asked Gretel.

Dodger leaped down to a lower area and then used the number 7 he had taken from the clock face to open a secret passageway, a trapdoor opened below Gretel and Rory.

"You go" Dodger said "I gotta find Mickey"

Gretel and Rory obeyed. Emma and Hook started up the stair, guns in hand. They found nobody there.

"Drat" said Emma "They somehow knew we were coming".

She looked down at the now closed trapdoor when suddenly she heard a loud noise. She followed it down the stairs and briefly saw Dodger with Mickey.

"Hey!" She yelled but they were out of sight.

Hook came down and put his hands on her shoulders.

"I think we've lost this round, Swan" he said.

Suddenly they were trapped inside a barrier around the clock tower. Emma went back up to the top and figured out that magic had been stolen from the clock face in the form of the number 7.

"Whatever Dodger needs magic for, it can't be good" she said.

"We will win the war" Hook reassured her "we always do".

The barrier lifted. It hadn't lasted long, but long enough that Dodger and his gang had escaped Emma again. They came out of the tower.

"The only problem I see" said Hook "is what will we do about Dodger and his gang after we catch them?"

"Snow is already looking for homes for them" Emma answered.

"But who will adopt Dodger?" Asked Hook "he's almost fully grown, troubled, and incoragable, will he be able to have a happy ending?"

 **A long time ago in the realm that Dickens wrote about**

Dodger and his gang, including Rory, Charlie, Harry, Mickey, and another boy named Devin, presented their ill-gotten gains to Fagin. Fagin cheered and talked about how proud he was of all of them. Noah Claypole was also present, Fagin spoke about how Noah had book smarts while Dodger had street smarts; how Noah knew his way around polite society and Dodger knew his way around the crime world. Dodger admired Fagin and very much wanted to impress him. He didn't just want to be equal to Fagin's other protege, but to beat him.

The next day, Dodger was out walking and came across a boy with scars on his face. The scarred boy stood in front of Dodger, staring.

"How do you do?" Asked Dodger, wondering what the boy wanted.

"The name's Felix" said the scarred boy "I work for a gang leader in another land. Peter Pan. He has a proposition for you".

"And what might that be?" Asked Dodger.

"He knows you want to impress your mentor, Fagin, the one who took you and your boys in when nobody else would and taught you everything you knew, I can teach you something that Noah doesn't know, but there's a catch".

"I already know a lot more than Noah" said Dodger "He ain't been to the pokey".

"But he passes as a gentlemen" replied Felix "he has strengths you don't. I can give you strength that he turned down, if you give up one of your prized possessions".

Dodger agreed.

"Why should I worry?" He asked "why should I care what I lose in order to gain an advantage?"

Later that night, Pan's shadow came into Fagin's home and took Devin.

"No, no, no" Dodger cried and tried to hold on to Devin but it was no use, he was gone.

Rory was in shock but tried to comfort Dodger.

"There was nothing you could have done" Rory said,

"I failed him" Dodger said "I made a deal with a mysterious boy to give myself better fighting skills. It was test that Noah passed but I failed. I will not fail any of my boys again".

 **A long time later in Storybrooke**

Dodger was walking along the riverbank at night. Suddenly, he was approached by another boy.

"Fancy seeing you in Storybrooke, Jack" said Devin.

"Devin!" Exclaimed Dodger "I never thought I'd see you again. I have always regretted letting you get taken, you gotta believe me. I tried to be a better person after that, I tried to be less selfish but sometimes I failed, I had to take the rest of our boys away from our realm when some of my bad deeds caught up to me. I'm going to make everything fine now though, when I take over this town, it'll be better for all of us".

"I've long forgiven you, Dodger" said Devin "Peter Pan told me about your deal with him. Neverland was kind of a nightmare, but eventually I got to come here, to Storybrooke, and found a home with new parents. I went back with them to the Enchanted Forest for a while, when they were being sent back there I wished really hard to stay with them. We were in the Enchanted Forest for a while and then returned to Storybrooke. I love my adoptive parents and I'm happy here. You and the rest of the gang can find homes and be happy here too".

"Did the sheriff send you?" Asked Dodger, suspiciously.

"She has no idea that I'm from the realm Dickens wrote about or that we know each other. I heard about you being here and came to talk to you on my own. You can have a home here, you don't have to use magic".

"And who would want to give me a home?" Dodger asked "I'm almost fully grown and a criminal. Only a guy like Fagin is decent enough to give a guy like me a home, and there ain't nobody like him here. Ain't nobody with sympathy for us. Fagin wasn't even a good person, he''s the one who taught me that nobody is".

"I believed that back in our realm" said Devin "and when I was in Neverland with Peter Pan; but it isn't true, there are good people here".

"It's too late for me" said Dodger "I'm corrupted. But not as corrupted as the law is".

"Peter Pan thought like you" said Devin "told us all that he was our only real family and that the adult world was corrupt. He tried to take over this town too, by crushing his friend Felix's heart!" He shouted.

"Relax" said Dodger coolly "I'm not crushing any hearts. I found a way, I only need one more bit of magic from this town and I can make it my way. Children will have comfort but also freedom".

"This isn't the way" Devin argued.

"It's the way to honour Fagin!" Dodger shouted.

 **A long time ago in the realm that Dickens wrote about**

Dodger stood by the bedside of Fagin as he was dying.

"Dodger, my boy" said Fagin "when I die, I'll no longer be able to protect you from any enemies you've made".

"Pff, I can handle them" replied Dodger with a smirk.

"No, Dodger" said Fagin "I've been visited by the ghosts of past, present, and future. They were worried about you, boy".

Dodger started listening attentively.

"Noah can find his way among the gentlemen" Fagin continued "but you, I fear you have no future in this realm. But the spirits gave me a magic gift to pass onto you. It's a portal to a place called The Land Of Untold Stories, you can take your boys there and lay low. The spirits tell me you will eventually find your way to a magical village".

He handed Dodger a magical pocket watch.

"That's not all" Fagin continued "this watch not only contains a portal, but you can use it to steal magic. I wanted to make a village that would be a refuge for boys like you, to give comfort and freedom, but I never had the opportunity. When you come to the magical village, find out where the magic is, steal items and load their magic into this watch, and you will rule the magical village and make it the way you and your boys need it to be".

"I will do it, for my boys and for you, Fagin" said Dodger affectionately "you taught me many of my tricks, how to be a leader, challenged me, and taught me that nobody is really good but to take what I can get".

"I've taught you well, my boy" Fagin said proudly "now get out of here, before Noah makes you and your boys pay for your mistakes".

"But I can't leave without Oliver Twist!" Dodger cried urgently.

"Leave him!" Cried Fagin "or you may never make it".

Dodger had an urgent look on his face. Fagin passed away in front of him, at peace knowing he had given Dodger his best chance.

 **A long time later in Storybrooke**

Hansel and Gretel convened with Emma, Hook, and Regina at the toll bridge.

"We got Dodger to tell us his next move!" Gretel said excitedly.

"It actually wasn't hard" Hansel added "he's real worked up about something".

"It's actually the least rational I've ever seen him" Gretel said in a worried tone "but that might make catching him easier".

"Yeah, something apparently happened by the river last night to rile him up" chirped Hansel "he wants to get things done quickly now!"

The twins were starting to have trouble catching their breath.

"Okay, breathe" said Emma "and tell me where he's planning to go and when".

After a minute or two, Gretel was able to answer.

"He's going to steal something from the hospital" Gretel said "I'm not sure where exactly but he's striking at six o'clock and wants us to help him blend in".

"I know where he's going" declared Regina.

Everyone looked at her with surprise.

"I created this town, remember?" Regina explained "He seeks magic so he must be going after the trance beamer. It's the thing that kept people from noticing inconsistencies during the curse. It's been deactivated since it broke but who knows what can be done with it?"

"You'd think you would have told us about all this a few years sooner" Hook snarled.

"Well I didn't think it mattered until now" Regina said defensively.

Hook tilted his head up in exasperation.

"Forget worrying about the past!" Emma exclaimed "we just need to know where it is".

"Under the floorboards of the operating room" answered Regina "the room which, ironically, was never used during the curse".

 **A long time ago in the realm Dickens wrote about**

Dodger stood with his gang; Rory, Charlie, Harry, and Mickey. He had just explained that they needed to leave their realm but that first he needed them to help save Oliver Twist.

"Whatever you do, wherever you go, we're with you buddy" declared Rory sentimentally.

"I concur" said Charlie "without you selling those trinkets to pay off my debt, I'd be toast. I'm sorry you had to go to jail for me".

"At least I found Harry there" Dodger said with a smile.

"Yeah" said Harry "without you, I don't know where I would have gone".

"And we saved Mickey from being sold to that other gang" added Rory "and remember the whole reason you started a life of crime was I was homeless and needed medicine".

"I remember" said Dodger "hopefully those good deeds I did make up for all the bad I've done to people. People like Noah and Devin".

"But don't forget the reason you came back to London" urged Charlie "you made shady deals to get Devin back here to reconcile with his father before he died. I'm sure he's grateful, even in whatever awful place he was taken to".

Dodger smiled "I'm glad to have you all with me, and I will do my best to take care of us all in the next realm" he said.

 **A long time later in Storybrooke**

Dodger and his gang, minus Harry, stood near the hospital. Hansel was with them. Gretel emerged to tell them the best path to sneak into the operating room without arousing suspicion. Dodger was determined to get there and not let anyone stop him. He couldn't afford to lose any more boys before fulfilling his goal. One at a time, they all crept into the hospital. Mickey distracted the nurse on duty by pretending to be injured. The others made their way through, Hansel and Gretel peeking around to make sure nobody was coming. Gretel went into the TV room, where Emma, Hook, and David secretly waited. She gave them a thumbs-up. Dodger, Charlie, and Rory pushed one another into the operating room and began to feel out the floorboards with their feet. Suddenly, Emma, Hook, and David came in from three separate doors and pointed their guns at the boys.

"Alright, no more games" David said "we have you now".

Gretel came up behind Emma and gave Dodger an apologetic look. He glared at her.

"Dodger" Emma called while slightly lowering her gun "I promise, everything will be alright".

Dodger looked at Emma sceptically but raised his hands in surrender.

 _Stay tuned for part three, where Dodger spending time in Storybrooke's jail gives him and Emma a chance to learn more about each other and possibly gain respect for one another, while flashbacks shed light on some of Emma's experiences on both sides of the law. Dodger's ultimate destiny will be revealed._


	3. Chapter 3

**Part Three: Captive**

The cell door at Storybrooke's Sheriff's Station closed on Dodger. He grabbed the bars and tried to shake them.

"Freedom!" He yelled before kicking the bars.

He was in one cell while the other four boys in his gang were in the other one. They had all insisted their leader get his own cell and so Emma obliged. Emma looked at Dodger, trying not to smile.

"If you behave yourself, things will go a lot smoother" she said gently but sternly.

"Never" cried Dodger.

Gretel walked in.

"YOU!" Dodger growled, pointing at Gretel "you ratted us out, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I did it because I care about you" Gretel said, her eyes watering.

"Some caring!" He shouted "you take away my power, my freedom, my plan, you call that caring?"

Gretel cried a little. Emma gave her a little hug.

"He'll understand later" she said "we need to give him some time to cool down".

Gretel nodded. "I brought some cookies and candy for the boys" she said handing Emma a basket.

"Thank-you" Emma said, placing the basket on her desk "and don't worry, guys can be stubborn but they appreciate a girl who cares for them". They both smiled as Gretel left.

Emma turned her attention to Dodger and the other boys.

"Would you care for some treats?" She asked them.

Mickey leapt up excitedly.

"No!" exclaimed Dodger "it's some kind of trick".

"It's not a trick" Emma replied calmly "I want us to get along".

"Why would you want anything to do with us!" Dodger demanded.

"Because, believe it or not, we have a lot in common" Emma replied.

 **Years ago in Minneapolis**

Teenage Emma was in her room at a foster home. She could hear children screaming while the mother of the house barked at them to try and keep them in line. Emma quietly peeked around. She crept downstairs where there was money in one of the cupboards. She looked around to make sure nobody was watching, and took a chunk of it. She began to hurry up the stairs. Suddenly, the mother of the house was in front of her with her arms crossed. Emma looked guilty.

"What's in your hands?" The mother of the house asked sternly. Emma didn't answer. The house mother reached out her hand. Emma put the money in the hand.

"So you're who's been stealing from me" the house mother said "no wonder you keep getting sent away from foster homes".

Emma felt angry. She had tried at many homes to be well behaved and still nobody seemed to want her. She only stole as much as she felt she needed to endure life in the crummy foster care system, to get herself nice things and sometimes escape for a bit. She wouldn't need to do it if she had a real home and someone to care for her, she had to take care of her own needs.

"You're grounded" the house mother said.

"If I don't comply, you won't care" Emma said tersely "you'll just send me away again".

"And then you can torment someone else!" The house mother yelled "you're more trouble than you're worth to me, and a bad influence on others". She continued down the stairs.

Emma scowled. As she had suspected, this was another place where nobody cared what she did, as long as they didn't have to deal with it. Nobody ever cared if she got in trouble at school. A small girl came down to see Emma.

"Sorry that happened" the child said.

"It's okay" Emma lied. She handed the child a five dollar bill. "I managed to keep a bit for you to buy that toy you wanted".

The child thanked Emma, who felt a little sad that she was influencing smaller children to break the rules, yet satisfied to cause trouble for the people in authority.

 **Many years later in Storybrooke**

"You want me to trust you?" Dodger asked Emma from inside his jail cell "tell me what you've done with Oliver".

"He's been confined to his new home where his new family is taking care of him" Emma answered "besides didn't you leave him to get caught by authorities back in your realm?"

"Now remember, Swan, you can't always believe what you read" Hook warned.

"It's true" admitted Dodger "I was a coward, but me and my boys went back for him".

"I know it might not be true" said Emma "but the book said you only did it because you didn't want him to rat you all out".

"Than Dickens was a filthy liar" declared Dodger "we was all about to be ratted out by a rival of mine. We were in a hurry to leave for the Land Of Untold Stories and had more to lose by going back for Oliver than not. I couldn't leave him because I look out for my gang! And I heard the pirate over there was threatening Harry!"

"It was a bit" Hook said defensively "I was playing the role of a corrupt cop".

"Scare tactics!" Dodger said indignantly "and you cops think you're so righteous!"

Dodger sat down on the cell bed. Emma and Hook looked ashamed.

"On the bright side" Harry piped up in order to break the silence "some nice people came to visit me while the sheriffs were out looking for you all".

"Yes" said Emma "my father's friends Kathryn and Frederick. They really like Harry. I think they may adopt him".

Harry smiled.

"Yeah?" Asked Dodger in disbelief "when you gonna let him and the rest of us outta here? How long you punishing us for?"

"I don't wish to punish you at all" replied Emma. She stepped inside Dodgers cell with a clipboard and pen and closed the door. "I want to negotiate a peace treaty, leader to leader" she said with a smile.

 **Many years earlier in a prison in Phoenix**

The door to Emma's cell opened slowly. She stood up.

"Ready to go for lunch, Miss Swan?" Asked the prison guard.

"Yes Ma'am" replied Emma.

"You better not throw things in the cafeteria like you threw that book against the wall yesterday" warned the guard.

"Won't happen again" Emma promised.

"It better not!" Growled the guard "Them books ain't free. They are a privilege. You're here to be punished, not entertained. Just cause you're pregnant doesn't mean you can behave like an animal".

"Understood Ma'am" replied Emma "it was a one time slip up. May I go eat now?"

"Alright" said the guard, hesitantly.

Emma went to the cafeteria and got in the lineup. After a few moments, another prisoner behind her shouted.

"Yo pregnant girl! How'd you get knocked up again? Bet your boyfriend is knocking people up all along the coast".

A bunch of people laughed. Emma wasn't in the mood for this.

"You just jealous cause you ain't had sex!" another prisoner shouted.

The woman behind Emma pushed her hard. Fearing for the safety of her unborn child, Emma retaliated by slapping the woman hard. A guard came running to break up the fight. Soon everyone started getting rowdy. The prison was put on lockdown for the next few hours.

Later on, the guard came to tell Emma that she'd be in solitary for a few days for fighting. Emma begged them not to, she hated some of the other prisoners but she hated being alone in her cell even more. She had endured too much loneliness in her life already. Still she had to suffer.

 **Many years later in Storybrooke**

"So you, a princess, wanna negotiate with a lowly criminal?" Asked Dodger, amused.

"I don't see you that way" said Emma "I'm trying to treat you, as much as I can, as an equal. You and me, we both have lived on the streets, bounced around from place to place, had run-ins with the law, and found ourselves leading people".

"I thought you work with your parents?" Dodger asked, confused.

"I didn't find them until I was twenty-eight" Emma clarified "they were under a curse and couldn't find me, I grew up alone thinking I was an orphan".

"So you think you were just like me?" Dodger asked.

"When I was your age, I was a thief and I ended up in jail for helping steal watches".

"I had to run away from a foster home when I was eight cause I stole medicine" Dodger said, trying to look tough "you ever steal medicine?"

"No, I haven't" replied Emma "listen, I know you want your freedom back as well as freedom for the rest of your boys, but I can't have you trying to steal magic to take over Storybrooke, so tell me how we can meet in the middle. What would make you and your boys not have to do those things anymore?"

"Make me mayor" said Dodger "I want authority"

"I can't do that" said Emma "but I can give you education and help you work towards having influence".

"You want me to sit for hours in some schoolhouse?" Asked Dodger "I gave that up when I learned to tie my own shoes".

"You wanted to make this town home for your gang" Emma said "I'm doing that, finding parents for them".

"Parents who are gonna tell us what to do and how to think?!" Growled Dodger "We want freedom".

"Freedom comes with responsibility" Emma replied "when someone cares enough to try to keep your behaviour in check, it means they care about you and want you to be the best you can be".

"Fagin loved me" argued Dodger "and he never tried to control me, he took me in and had me be a criminal for him. He loved me for who I am, not some good boy he could mould me into".

"Sounds to me like he molded you into more of a criminal" Emma said "he took you in under certain conditions, that you commit crime for him, they just happened to be conditions that suited you".

""Fagin was a good man!" Dodger shouted, raising a fist to Emma "he took in kids who had no place else to go but the streets, workhouses, or jailhouses, which makes him better than those upper class people who only care about well-to-do kids, and the people here who want us to be good little boys and will reject us otherwise!"

Emma stepped back out of the cell.

"I better come back when things calm down a little" she said.

Suddenly Rory had a coughing fit and clutched his stomach. Charlie tried to soothe him.

"He needs medicine!" Yelled Dodger frantically "we've almost run out of the supply Mr. Hyde gave us! There's a little of it back at Gold's cabin!"

Emma looked at Hook.

"On my way to find it" Hook said, grabbing his leather jacket.

"It's in a green bottle!" Dodger shouted after him.

Emma had a sudden realization.

"You didn't become a criminal for selfish reasons, did you?" She asked Dodger "your first crime was stealing medicine, you started down that path to help a friend".

Dodger lowered his eyes, not wanting to confirm or deny this.

 **Many years earlier in a prison in Phoenix**

Emma returned to her cell after giving birth to her son. Her son who she had given up for closed adoption and would probably never know who adopted him or what would become of him. She had carried him for nine months and gone through labour, all to probably never see him again because she wasn't ready to be a mother. This was all hitting her now. She had known for months that this was the deal but she had avoided thinking about it. She would probably never see her son again, not get to teach him how to walk or hear his first words, or see him off to school, or know what kind of person he'd become. She had been lonely for her entire life but never did she feel lonelier than right now, She had nobody to comfort her. Nobody ever came to visit her. She would have nobody waiting for her when she got released from prison. Everyone who she had ever been remotely close to…..Lily….Ingrid…..Neal…they had all let her down. Not much good had ever happened to her and there seemed like little chance of anything good ever happening to her. She began to wonder if she ever wanted to leave her prison cell again. What was the point after all? What was even the point in living? She saw no meaning in her life, nothing to look forward to. She looked at her pillow and she thought about smothering herself. She might have done it if she weren't being watched by the prison guards. She cried herself to sleep and slept as much as she could for a long time.

 **Many years later in Storybrooke**

Rory had drank his medicine and was feeling better now.

"Dr. Whale should have a fresh supply to us by tomorrow" Emma said. In the meantime, my husband and I have to go home for the night".

"You're leaving us here alone?" Dodger asked hopefully.

"Hardly" answered Emma "I know you'd try to escape and quite possibly succeed. Besides what if there's another emergency? My parents are taking the night shift tonight".

David and Snow walked in.

"We brought the sleeping bags for the boys" Snow declared with a smile.

"And bedtime reading" added David, holding up a stack of fairy tale books.

"And good news" added Snow "we've been talking to some people and may have homes for these boys really soon".

"Great to hear" said Emma "I'll be back in the morning to talk with them some more".

David and Snow White babysat Dodger and his gang all night. They played music, read fairy tales, and provided bedtime snacks. Though Dodger didn't want to admit it, the boys felt more taken care of than they had in a very long time. They all had a very good night's sleep with little stress.

Emma returned the next morning as promised. Henry was with her, as it wasn't a school day. He brought along "Guardians Of The Galaxy" comic books, he and Emma both figuring a story about outlaws becoming heroes was an appropriate one for Dodger and his gang. Henry hung out and talked to Dodger during the morning , telling each other stories about their past adventures, while the other boys were visited by potential parents, but nobody came to visit Dodger. Henry could see his disappointment.

"You were hoping for potential parents to come see you by now too?" Henry asked.

Dodger looked indecisive.

"There's someone else you were hoping for, isn't there?" Henry asked "You like someone, don't you?"

"There's a girl" Dodger reluctantly admitted "but I yelled at her last time she came to see me".

"I'm sure she'll come around" Henry reassured Dodger "when you get out of here and on with your life, you'll win her over".

Henry had to leave in the afternoon for a date with Violet. Once he was gone, Emma approached Dodger to ask if he was ready to negotiate a peace treaty yet. He agreed, feeling more motivated to get out of jail now, plus he could see his boys wanted to go home with new families now and that his quest for power may not have been necessary. The life he and Fagin wanted for the boys was coming to them, but what about himself? Emma told him she had found people willing to adopt the rest of the boys and was still working on him. He checked with the other boys to see what they wanted and then asked Emma if she could let them go home with their new parents by the end of the day. Emma agreed but said they had to stay in their new homes until she could be sure they wouldn't be meeting up to commit more crime.

"There's something I wanna know" Dodger said "how did you go from being a thief like us to a goody-goody- sheriff? You some kind of hypocrite?"

"I'm not a hypocrite" Emma said defensively "I only wanted to be with my boyfriend at the time, Henry's father, and tried to help him get rid of the watches he stole. I never approved of his crime but I wanted to help him be free of it, I was in love".

"You were gonna sell the watches for money?" Dodger asked.

"Well, yeah" answered Emma.

"So you say you didn't approve of your boyfriend stealing watches, yet you were willing to profit off it?"

"Yes" Emma said guiltily "but I accepted my punishment and now I'm helping protect Storybrooke".

"So you went straight right after you got out of jail?" Dodger asked.

Emma hesitated before answering "yes".

 **Many years ago in California**

Emma woke up in her yellow volkswagen. She had basically been living in it since her release from prison. She had nowhere to go and just kind of decided to drive to the next state. On her way, she heard about a youth centre that helped people in situations like hers find employment. She was in the parking lot of that youth centre, waiting for it to open. When it did, she went inside and explained her situation.

"So I have no family or anyone to go to and I've been in prison for almost a year and I have no idea what to do" she summarized.

"It's always bugged me" the lady who worked at the centre said "the way the government treats people in many parts of the country. They release people from prison with no prospects for the future, make it harder for that person to get anywhere in life, then they're surprised when the person commits more crime because they have few other options".

"Don't I know it" said Emma "and they put me in isolation a lot, which scarred me, and when I wasn't alone I was with awful people teaching each other how to be more awful. But the people running the prison, who were supposed to be good examples, they didn't seem much better than us morally. They seemed to think they were better and they thought that justified treating us like dirt".

"It's a really counterproductive system" said the lady "but hopefully you can move past all this. We'll direct you to a shelter and we're connected with some thrift stores that we can get you a job interview at. As long as you don't get into any more trouble".

Emma thanked her.

 **Many year later in Storybrooke**

Throughout the day, Dodger's friends went home with their new families. Harry with Kathryn and Frederick, Mickey with Jefferson whose daughter was now a teenager and he wanted a young boy to raise, Rory with Thomas and Cinderella whose daycare he would help with, and Charlie with Phillip and Aurora to be a big brother. When Emma went home for the evening, Hook came in to look after Dodger.

"So, you're the sheriff's husband?" Dodger asked.

"Yup" said Hook "she's a great woman, I often wonder how a scoundrel like me got so lucky as to get a girl like her".

"That gives me some hope" said Dodger "I also like a girl from the other side of the tracks".

"Do you indeed" said Hook with a smile "well if you want my advice, be kind to her family and show her there's more to you than your roots".

"I'll keep that in mind" said Dodger "now how do I get your wife to let me out of here?"

"Emma's got some trust issues" said Hook "she wants to be fair to you but she needs to be sure you won't do anything dangerous. She cares about you, believe it or not".

Hook tried to sneak some rum without Dodger seeing but he saw.

"Drinking on the job?" Dodger asked, amused.

"Shush, lad" said Hook.

"Can I have some?" Asked Dodger.

"Have you ever had this stuff before?" Hook asked.

"Couple of times" said Dodger "Fagin and Hyde both liked to give me a treat once in a while".

Hook reluctantly poured a small glass for Dodger and handed it to him through the bars.

"Don't tell Emma" Hook whispered.

Dodger smiled gleefully while sipping in it.

"So what's your story?" Dodger asked "how did you become a scoundrel?"

"I guess it started when my brother died" answered Hook "the king whose navy I worked for at the time told us a lie and got my brother killed. Like you, I lost respect those who worked for the law. Decided being a pirate was more honourable, at least pirates have some sense of morals. Eventually though, after falling to temptations many times, I realized I'd been morally weak and Emma made me stronger".

"Let me see if I understand this" Dodger said "going to jail set Emma straight but she doesn't know how to set me straight?"

"Jail didn't do a thing for her" Hook answered "mostly just traumatized her and made it harder for her to respect the law, just like us. Two years before becoming sheriff of Storybrooke, a bail bonds person tried to bring her in for robbing convenience stores. The lady died in an accident and Emma then decided to become a bail bonds person so she had a job and didn't have to be a thief anymore".

"She lied to me?" Dodger asked indignantly.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have told you that" said Hook.

"Darn right" said Dodger "cause she should have. She expects me to be trustworthy and she goes and tells a lie like that? Tries to be all superior?"

"Now don't be too hard on her" Hook said "I'm sure she meant well. She wanted you to turn things around like she eventually did".

Dodger had that in the back of his mind all night. He and Hook bonded over the comic book Henry had brought him and then he went to bed. When he woke up, Emma and David were there.

"Yo Prince Charming!" Dodger yelled "remind me why I'm here again".

"Because you were causing trouble" answered David "hopefully after this, you won't anymore".

"Yeah?" Replied Dodger "ask your daughter over there if going to jail made her stop causing trouble. And don't lie, Emma".

David put his hands on her hips.

 **Many years earlier in California**

Emma had been working at the thrift shop for several months. Her bosses knew about her past but gave her a chance anyway. She wasn't making much money. She was still eating at soup kitchens and sleeping either in shelters or in her car. She was having trouble functioning outside prison. She had gotten used to captivity and didn't always know how to handle her own affairs. She mishandled what little money she did earn. She was also paranoid about the people around her. She always wondered who were secretly criminals and also who would be abusive in positions of power. One day she gave into an impulse and began stealing money from work. A few weeks later she got called to come in and talk to her boss. Three men were there; the owner and two manager.

"We know you've been stealing" said the manager "we just went over the security tapes from the last few weeks".

"Over five-hundred dollars" the owner said "we could have you sent back to prison for this".

"I really thought we could trust you" the other manager said "lucky for you, a Mr. Booth paid us back that money, so we decided not to press charges. But you'll need to find a new job".

Emma had no idea who Mr. Booth was but decided she better not question it. She nodded, thanked them for giving her the chance, and walked away.

 **Many years later in Storybrooke**

"I want the truth, Emma!" Dodger shouted "if I can't trust you, how am I supposed to be trustworthy?"

"I'm sorry I lied" Emma replied, hanging her head "I didn't want you to think I was a hypocrite".

"Well I do!" Shouted Dodger "you're part of law enforcement, busting criminals, when you were one yourself before you got a job enforcing law!"

"The truth is I did take a very long time to stop being a thief. I met the father of my son in a car we were both stealing and I still have it. Prison didn't change me for the better, the prison system in my realm sucks, I don't know if it sucks as much as the one in your realm but it sucks, it doesn't work. And I became part of that system. But now, in Storybrooke, we aren't beholden to the system in the outside world. I hope I am a better sheriff than a lot of the ones outside here. Although I only became a sheriff initially to combat the mayor and be a hero to my son, after I found out I was a saviour and princess I began to feel responsibility to my people as you feel towards yours" Emma explained.

"And you only became a bail bonds person after another one tried to bring you in for thievery and she died?" Dodger asked "so you never accepted the consequences for that crime?"

"I was planning to let her turn me in" Emma explained "but then I broke into a government building because of my obsession with trying to find out who my parents were, then helping me run away she got hurt and died. Then if I turned myself in, I might have been blamed for killing her".

"I guess that wouldn't have been fair" Dodger said empathetically "I'm kind of glad you didn't join the side of the law out of any kind of nobility, you don't owe the system that mistreated you anything".

"Is that what Fagin taught you?" Emma asked.

"Yup" said Dodger "and Fagin was a fine man".

"I'm sure Fagin loved you in his way and wanted what was best for you" Emma said "but sometimes those that love us don't always know what is best for us. There was a woman named Ingrid who took care of me for some time when I was growing up. She loved me and cared about me deeply. She was the closest thing I had to family before I came to Storybrooke. Years later she tried to destroy the town to be alone with me and her niece. She had good intentions but she was wrong. I still love her even after realizing that".

"How can someone who cares about you be wrong about doing something for you?" Dodger asked.

"You want what's best for your gang?" Emma asked.

"Yeah" said Dodger.

"But you thought that meant stealing magic and avoiding me, when really I wanted what was best for them too by finding them homes. Were all your actions right?"

"I guess not" Dodger grumbled.

"Was everything Fagin wanted right?" Asked Emma.

"No, he didn't want me to go back for Oliver" Dodger admitted.

"But you did" Emma said "because you knew in your heart what the right thing was".

Dodger cried.

"I wanted to honour Fagin by making a home for my boys here" he said.

"Maybe you can honour Fagin in other ways" Emma said "maybe you can keep helping yourself and your gang have better lives and helping other people in bad situations".

Dodger nodded and then asked to be left alone to think for a bit.

 **Many years earlier in Massachusetts**

Emma was now twenty-seven years old and had been working as a bail bonds person for about a year. One day her boss called and said that the family of the person she was currently tracking wanted to speak to her. She went to her bosses office to see them. She was confronted with a crying mother, a worried father, and two young-adult siblings. They explained to her that the man she was chasing was eighteen years old, just a reckless kid, and had gotten involved with a dangerous gang. He had driven a getaway vehicle during a heist where he wasn't expecting anyone to get hurt but one of his co-conspirators had shot someone. He was now running from the consequences by getting further involved with dangerous criminals. The family was terrified what kind of life their loved one was going to have if he didn't face the consequences of his crime and lived as a fugitive. Emma felt a lot of empathy and double promised to find him.

 **Many years later in Storybrooke**

Dodger was still in the cell when Henry came back for a visit.

"Hey Dodger" Henry said gleefully "Did you like the comic I brought you?"

"Yeah, your stepdad and I both could really relate to the heroic outlaws. It was well written, but it was no Shakespeare".

"You've read Shakespeare?" Emma asked in surprise.

"There wasn't much going on in the Land Of Untold Stories" Dodger explained "I got bored".

"I could never get into Shakespeare myself" Emma said "I prefer more modern literature".

"I like the tragic heroes" Dodger said wistfully "like Hamlet and Othello, good guys who end up doing the wrong thing due to tragic circumstances. I don't recommend Titus Andronicus though, that's a disturbing horror show".

"I know a story you'll like" said Henry "let me go get the action figures".

Henry left and quickly returned with action figures of all the characters from Star Wars Episodes 1 through 6. He got down on the floor by the cell door where he and Dodger could play together and told him the entire story.

"I love that Anakin guy" Dodger said at the end "another complex tragic hero who only went bad because of the moral confusion he felt when people on both sides did bad things. I relate to that".

"My other mom, Regina, she was inspired by Vader's redemption. It helped her with her own" Henry told him.

Emma smiled while watching them play. After they finished, she approached Dodger.

"Still think of me as a bad guy?" She asked him.

"I just want to know one thing" Dodger replied "can you honestly tell me that during your time chasing criminals before you came to this town that you didn't just condemn people who did crime? Can you honestly tell me that there was at least one instance where you helped someone have a better life?"

"Yes" Emma answered "I believe I can"

 **Many years earlier in Connecticut**

Emma walked into the kind of bar that made her think of the movie Star Wars when Obi-Wan called the bar on Tatooine "a wretched hive of scum and villainy". Her informants had told her about some of the sketchy deals that went on here. It was filled with gangsters and crooks, people she hoped never to have much involvement with. She was here to find the young man who had jumped bail and whose family was worried sick about him in places like this. She would bring him back to his family and save him from the criminal underground fugitive life. She spotted her target by the bar. Perfect. She sat beside him and offered him a drink.

"You look like you're in a tough spot" she said to him once they got their drinks.

"Yeah" he said sadly "got involved in a bad deal and can't go home no more".

"Uh-huh" said Emma "I got that vibe. You seem just like the kind of kid who, now stop me if I'm wrong, was an accomplice in a heist gone wrong and then decided it was better to run away and dig yourself deeper than to face the consequences?"

The young man got up and ran. Emma chased him. He ran to his car and tried to drive away but there was already a boot on it. Emma calm walked over and caught up to him, then apprehended him. She drove him in her car back to Massachusetts.

"You'll be thankful for this one day" she told him.

"Thankful?" He said in disbelief "My life is over. You do your little parlour tricks and catch people who made mistakes but don't think about what happens to them. You have no idea how damaging a prison term is".

"In fact I do!" Emma shouted angrily "I spent almost a year in prison when I was younger than you are now and it took me years to get my life on track. Unlike you, I had nobody to turn to when I got out. Prison life sucks and isn't always fair, but do you want to know what sucks even more? Being alone in the world without family to help you. I would give anything for a family that cares about me the way yours care about you and you're running away from them. Prison's no fun but at least you'll have people to support you during and after. You're much better off facing the consequences of your actions than running away to be alone in the world and part of some criminal underground".

The man opened his mouth to argue but didn't know what to say.

"I'm bringing you to face up to your actions but I'm also bringing you home" Emma said more calmly "you'll be safer and better off this way".

She brought him to the police station in Boston. A police officer came to greet them and the young man's mother was with him. She kissed and hugged her son. He still looked scared.

"I know this is tough for you" Emma told him "but you'll be thankful someday".

She then drove off.

 **Many years later in Storybrooke**

Emma sat across from Dodger in the cell. She had earned his respect by telling him about the man she saved from life alone as a fugitive. Now they were finishing negotiating what Emma called a "peace treaty". He promised that he and his gang would refrain from possessing weapons and from crimes including theft and breaking and entering and that if they broke the rules Emma would discuss discipline with their adoptive parents. In return, Emma promised the boys education, counselling with Dr. Hopper, and freedom to walk about Storybrooke without feeling a need to hide. When they finished talking, Dodger got a surprise visitor. Gretel came back. Dodger leapt up when he saw her.

"Gretel!" He exclaimed "I'm so happy you're here, I'm sorry I was mad at you before".

"I knew you'd get over it" she replied.

"You two catch up with each other" Emma said "I have to go ask my husband something".

Emma left the cell door open while she went to see Hook. Dodger and Gretel chatted about what they had been doing since they last talked. He also congratulated her on outsmarting himself and the gang. Emma returned.

"Gretel" she said "could you give us a minute?"

"Of course" said Gretel stepping away.

"Dodger" Emma said "Hook and I have come to a decision. We want to be your new parents. We all have similar backgrounds and we want to be for you the family we wish we had in our younger days. I want to be your mom. I want to get to know you better. You can get tutoring from my mother and my son Henry and then go to school. You can help us at the Sheriff's station. We can help you learn to be a better mentor for your friends. We can give you dating advice. You can be part of our family. What do you say?"

Dodger gave Emma a big hug.

"Thank-you" he said.

 _Stay tuned for the epilogue to find out what Dodger did with his life afterwards._


	4. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Dodger was adopted by Emma and Captain Hook and had a good life with them. It wasn't always perfect. Sometimes he felt a need to test Emma's limits by breaking her rules. She was patient and gave him firm but loving discipline, showing him she loved him as a son. Hook was more lenient but strict when he needed to be. Dodger and Hook sometimes went drinking on Hook's ship. Emma knew and they knew she knew but they all pretended she didn't know. She let it happen because she recognized the importance of father and son bonding behind Mom's back. Henry was a great brother and showed Dodger all the pop-culture he otherwise may have missed. Henry and Snow White began homeschooling Dodger in order to prepare him for real school. He proved to be fairly gifted. He maintained his friendships with his gang, including Oliver, as well as Hansel and Gretel. After about a month adjusting to his new life, with much encouragement from his new family, Dodger finally asked Gretel out on a date. They soon became a couple. He also took Hansel out for some bro's nights in order to gain his approval. After a few months, he began attending high school. He became a good role model and support person for his former gang and other troubled kids. He eventually started up a club to help troubled youth. He never went on another illegal heist but his thirst for them never fully went away. He became a huge fan of heist movies. He also continued to be a fan of Star Wars, Shakespeare, and Guardians Of The Galaxy. Gretel began writing plays, which Dodger loved as well. When Emma became pregnant again, she told Hook and Dodger no drinking around the baby. Dodger denied drinking at all and Emma playfully glared at him. When the baby came, Dodger was great help and even started picking up the slack at the Sheriff's station since Emma couldn't work as much. When Regina cast a new curse that united many of the realms of story, Dodger knew what he wanted to do with his life. First he went to Storybrooke University and did a degree in criminology while Gretel did one in creative writing. After graduation, they got married and relocated to New York for three years. Dodger went to law school while Gretel had her own adventures, she in a candy store while writing her magnum opus and then produced her magnum opus on broadway and became a huge hit. After Dodger finished law school, the couple returned to Storybrooke, where Gretel produced her plays for all the united realms and Dodger worked to make the justice systems in all the realms more fair for everyone and focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment. When Gretel became pregnant, Dodger went back to visit the realm Dickens wrote about, where he finally made peace with Noah Claypole and then searched for his biological parents. Emma understood the desire to find out where he came from but warned him of the emotional turmoil he may face. He found out that his father, Jack Dawkins Sr, had been a failed businessman who joined a dangerous criminal gang. His mother, Liza, was a prostitute his father met a few times. They were both murdered by criminals shortly after leaving their son at a workhouse. They had probably saved his life by abandoning him. "They wanted to give you your best chance" Emma told him when he told her the story. He didn't judge them too harshly for their lifestyles, they had probably been in bad situations that led them there. He hoped that his biological parents, as well as Fagin, would be proud of the life he made in Storybrooke. He knew his family and Gretel's family loved him and were proud of him though, and that was enough. He would raise his children be non-judgemental and to help those who wronged them be better people.


End file.
